Royal Oak Outdoor Art Fair on July 13-14 all about the artists

Regardless of the weather, there will be a little thunder at the Royal Oak Outdoor Art Fair next weekend/July 13-14.

Artist Chris Pawlik will be a source of that thunder, which she hopes will delight the crowd.

"I will have new pieces, which are thunder drums, which is a type of percussion instrument and when you shake it you hear the sound of thunder," the Anchorville resident said.

This will be Pawlik's third year at the fair at Memorial Park.

FYI: The 43rd annual Royal Outdoor Oak Art Fair is July 13-14 at Memorial Park, on 13 Mile Road north of Woodward. The juried art show has about 100 artists from all over the country participating and displaying their work. For more information, visit royaloak.mi.us/portal/departments/recreation/special-events.

Originated by the Parks and Recreation Department of the city of Royal Oak and the Royal Oak Art Council, this year marks the 43rd annual Royal Oak Outdoor Art Fair on July 13 and 14.

"The Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Royal Oak started the Royal Oak Art Council, which is made up of volunteers that are interested in all aspects of art," said Tod Gazetti, Royal Oak Recreation director.

Of a couple hundred applications from around the country, artists were selected to be part of the juried art fair.

"We try to get higher end (artists), so it's not a craft show," Gazetti said. "What we try to do is keep the quality at a high standard."

With about 100 artists displaying their works, the fair features more than just paintings but also woodwork, clay, metals, photography, basket weaving, jewelry and others -- all handcrafted pieces.

Pawlik primarily works with gourds and uses a variety of media to make each one unique. She has been experimenting with gourds since the early '90s.

"Lately I started using more of a cannon ball gourd, which is small and perfectly round," she said. "Recently been making bowls and candle holders."

Artist Liz Williams will be traveling from New Smyrna Beach, Fla., and is showing at the art fair for the first time.

Williams paints on canvas with acrylics and oils and adds texture by layering paper, fiber, glass, wood, silver or metal then finishes off with a glaze to make the piece shiny and wet looking.

"It's a very organic feeling," Williams said. "Most (of the work) I do is in that organic realm."

Williams has been a participating in art shows for about 20 years and has been a full-time artist for about 30 years.

Starting out in photography, Williams moved to ceramics, then to painting and about 15 years ago began the abstract work she does today.

"That's just something I've developed over my whole career of art and I just love it," she said. "It's very liberating, there are no rules to it -- you just dive in and you do it."

Because the fair is not a festival with other attractions but strictly an art fair, Gazetti said most artists appreciate it for that purpose, and the crowd is there all for the same reason.

"This is our one event were we are completely there for the artists," he said.